Long-travel draft-rigging.



I G. L. HARVEY;

LONG TRAVEL DRAFT mccmc; amnion mum 1m. 20, m4.

. r mmed I m 1-. 191g UNITED STATES 1 QFFEICE,

GEORGE L. HARVEY, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS.

LONG-TRAVEL DRAFT-RIGGING.

Application filed Marc-h 20,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEoRGn L. HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Long-Travel Draft- Rigging, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to draft rigging for I railway cars and has particular reference to a novel device by means of which increased travel of the draw-bar may be secured.

It has become a well known fact that with the increase in weight and capacity for railway cars, the greater length of trains, etc, the shocks, both in pulling and bufling, have increased to such an extent that no draft rigging and particularly no unaided springs are able to absorb such shocks within the limit of travel heretofore authorized. Many railroads have therefore decided to increase the travel of the draw-bar in order to absorb the shocks in a greater distance than is .now the ordinary practice and the present device is designed to accomplish this result Without material change in the present equipment and without materially increas ing the cost.

An object of my device is to provide means whereby an ordinary tandem spring draft rigging with standard travel may be converted into a long travel gear using the same springs, if need be, and without change in the cheek plates or followers.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accomi ianying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a draft rigging constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse'section through my novel barrel. and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spring barrel.

I have shown my novel device as applied to a cat having sills 10, to which the front and rear cheek plates 11, 12, are riveted. A- draW-bar 13, is mounted between the sills and has a yoke 14, secured to the butt end thereof. lVithin this yoke are located front and rear followers 15, 16 abutting the front and rear cheek plates. Between the fol lowers are located two standard sized sprin s 17, 18, preferably of the type known as l larvey friction draft gear springs. These springs are preferable in connection with long travel gears as they have greater Specification of Letters latent.

verse interior walls 2U, 21, against wh Patented Dec. 1, .1914.

improved spring barrel, which consists in a iwlinder 15 provided with a pair of trans Ch the ends of the springs l7, l8 aunt and with exterior centering or supporiing lugs or ears 22, on the sides thereof. The cylinder at the point between the walls 20. 21, fluted or ribbed, as shown at 24, (Fig. 2) in order to suitably stiffen the walls 20, 21. against which the force exerted in pulling and bufling is directed. This reinforcing be tween the walls 20, 21. mar forms, it being merely desirable that tie-- walls shall be suitably supported with. re tion to each other without the use of. a solid or substantially solid filler. My invenion may therefore be said to consist in a draft rigging composed of two springs mounted in tandem and held in proper relation by means of a cylindrical centering device, said device having interior walls suitably strengthened with relation to each other. My invention may further be said to consist in the & Hi bination With a de ice of the above if tion, of a pair of friction springs of the such as described. By reason of sit-ch rangement a long travel draft rigging is made possible without the undesirable features which would follow the use of double.- travel springs of the ordinary type.

The exact form. of the cylindrical ha is not essential and various modifirrt may be made Without departing from spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A draft rigging device composed of a barrel-like casing substantially circular in cross section having a pair of transverse in termediate walls and longitudinally intending strengthening ribs extending from one to the otherof the transverse walls, the parts being all formed in an integral casting. substantially as described.

A draft rigging device composed of a substantially circular casing provided with intermediate transverse walls, the casing connecting said walls being fluted to form strengthening ribs, and a plurality of wings projecting from the outer surface of said take various llO casing and acting as supporting ings for the casing, the parts being all cast in a single piece, substantially as described.

3. In :1 draft rigging, the combination of a pair of springs in end to end relation, followers against which said springs abut, a spring barrel ithin which said springs are held, said spring barrel having a filler therein, said filler being located substantially midway between the ends thereof and by means of which said springs are spaced apart, said spring barrel being movable with said springs and being spaced substantially an equal distance from both followers whereby euniulutn'e travel and uniform compressmn of the springs is secured, substantially as des ribed.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th dujv of M :1 rch, 1 44.

GEO RG 1*] L. HARVE 1'.

W itnesses T. D. BUTLER, Cues. F. MURRAY. 

